In a significant development following the tragic train accident that rocked Odisha's Balasore district on June 2, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken a crucial step towards achieving justice. The incident, which claimed the lives of 293 people and involved the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, and a stationary goods train near Bahanaga Bazar railway station, has led to the filing of a chargesheet against three railway employees directly implicated in the case.
The accused individuals, including senior section engineer in-charge of signals Arun Kumar Mahanta, senior section engineer (signal) Amir Khan, and technician Pappu Kumar Yadav, now face a series of serious charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder (IPC Section 304), causing the disappearance of evidence or giving false information to screen offenders (IPC Section 201), and endangering the safety of railway passengers through a willful act or omission (Section 153 of the Railways Act), as reported by the media.
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The CBI's decision to file these charges comes after an extensive investigation that yielded substantial evidence to support these allegations. Initially, the agency had registered an FIR under various sections, including criminal negligence resulting in death (IPC Section 304A) and endangering life by negligent act (IPC Section 337). However, the gravity of the situation prompted the invocation of Section 304, which carries a potential punishment of up to 10 years.
During their thorough investigation, CBI officials visited the accident site, accompanied by forensic experts, to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident. They meticulously inspected the station's panel room, which housed the signaling system, and engaged in discussions with officials in the record room. Additionally, the CBI collected crucial documents, physical evidence, and digital logs from the railway.
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Concurrently, the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) conducted an independent investigation that implicated multiple staff members in the Signalling Department for their roles in the accident. According to the CRS report, the tragic event unfolded due to faulty labeling of wires at location box no 94, where an Electric Lifting Barrier (boom barrier) was being replaced. This signaling error caused the Coromandel Express to enter a loop line and collide with a stationary goods train.
At the time of the accident, senior section engineer Arun Kumar Mahanta oversaw the replacement work at the level crossing, while Amir Khan led the team of technicians responsible for the job. Technician Pappu Kumar Yadav was actively involved in rewiring the location box. Significantly, it was Yadav who, in the presence of Mahanta and Khan, identified the wiring mistake, revealing that 16 strand flexible wires had been incorrectly connected, leading to the tragic mishap.
This incident, which resulted in the derailment of two trains near Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district, Odisha, led to several coaches overturning and causing substantial casualties. The Chennai-bound Coromandel Express collided with a goods train, with its coaches ending up on top of the goods train. Subsequently, the coaches of the Coromandel Express derailed after the collision, hitting the second passenger train on the adjacent track, which also derailed.
A total of 293 fatalities and over 1,100 injuries were confirmed in the aftermath of the accident. Preliminary investigations suggest that the Coromandel Express received a signal to run on the main track line, but the signal later changed, leading the train to follow the altered signal and enter an adjacent loop line, where the collision with the goods train occurred.
